I finished the Blackwood cardigan from Helen's Closet and
found that a lot of the tops I had to wear under it were not quite right. Many
had too big a contrast for me - my style palette isn't high contrast. Neither
white not black are my preferred colours. I had a couple of suitable patterned
tops but didn't like them with the variegated cardigan. I had loads of the
fabric left over from the cardigan - you guessed it! Enough to make a top (see photo at bottom of post)
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This is the second top. it of numbers one and two are very similar as they are sister fabrics. |
One possibility was to use my Nettie bodysuit and add
sleeves to the pattern. The original pattern comes with sleeves. I'd need to
alter them. However, I realised that the Nettie uses 2 way (4 way) stretch
fabric with a lot of stretch and the fabric I want to use didn't have as much
as that and had very little longitudinal stretch.
Although I have quite a lot of patterns (understatement) I
had difficulty finding a suitable pattern for a stretch fabric. I did find this
New Look pattern 6481 which includes a top, skirt, jacket and trousers. I love
the jacket too. This was the only top pattern I could find that I already owned
that was both for stretch fabric and in my size. I originally had two copies of
this pattern (it came with two different magazines) and gave one to a fellow
sewer, R, who had made several successful tops from the pattern. So that
was a positive review, worth quite a few more. On Pattern Review, I found reviews for the jacket but not the top.
I lengthened the body by 2” as I am tall.
I have large biceps and did a standard large biceps
adjustment to add 1”. I had originally traced the sleeve cap shape and height
and because the biceps adjustment lowers that, brought it up to the original.
Sleeves are my bête noire.
The sleeve is set in in the round, which I prefer. I set
this one in and noticed there was a LOT of easing required but I managed.
However, when I tried on the top (no problems making up to this point;
directions were fine) the sleeves looked awful. A mess of wrinkles.
Fortunately, I was doing this in my sewing bee and I sought
advice from Rory. She pinned out a huge amount from the back sleeve and we
realised this is ALWAYS required. Much less was removed at the front -
practically nothing. She also slightly rotated the sleeve cap so that it would
fall straight - less than ¼” and it made all the difference! She also lowered
the sleeve at the underarm seam. These changes made the sleeve shorter, so I
slightly lengthened to make up for this. The higher sleeve cap also
compensates.
Anyway, I adjusted the sleeve, made up the top and finished
it after checking that the sleeves were okay. I transferred the changes to the
paper pattern.
I had already started a second version of this top so also
had to alter those sleeves. The fabric was a similar grey rib, with less contrast and variegation. The degree of stretch was very similar and the two tops are virtually interchangeable as far as fit is concerned.
Back to the sleeve pattern.
I need in my sleeve
- Extra
sleeve cap height - many sleeve caps just don't reach
- Extra
biceps room
- Extra
length both above and below elbow; these are short sleeves, elbow length.
I don't need
- Extra
fabric at sleeve cap back (or front indeed)
The standard adjustment where a cross shaped cut is made
- Also
widens sleeve cap (not required) and arm of sleeve (that's fine)
- Also
lowers sleeve cap and lowers it more the bigger the adjustment (bad news
for me)
- Shortens
sleeve length
I wanted to know if there was another way to make changes.
Don't tell anyone but I had altered my sleeve directly on
the pattern piece!! I traced around and made a proper final version
(fortunately I had stopped myself before cutting off redundant portions). I
then painstakingly put the sleeve pattern back to the original shape - except
it's all taped up. Note to self - you would have been quicker tracing in the
first place!
I then traced an original sleeve pattern too. So now I had
the original and what I wanted it to be ie the final garment sleeve. Rory had
briefly commented on cutting off the cap and working on the rest so I asked her
to explore that with me.
The sleeve cap was cut off and put aside.
A vertical cut was made down the sleeve, stopping at bottom
SA. This part of the pattern was then pulled apart by 1”, the same adjustment
made originally.
This widened the biceps area which is good and also lowered
the underarm area - which had been done on the modified pattern. The sleeve cap
was then placed at the original cap height. There was a significant gap - this
was filled in. I drew in the gap in the armscye shape making a suitable shape
but NOT widening it at all.
Did this work? Not entirely. Comparing this version to the
required version showed that the back sleeve still had too much. It's a better
starting point (as well as easier to do!). Rory said that I needed to recognise
my back armscye shape and modify.
An interesting exercise. I was going to post photos of the pattern pieces but decided that's probably not relevent to others.
Nevertheless, I think I have a TNT pattern and have already
cut out a third using the final sleeve pattern. All these tops are in shades of grey as I was originally planning to enter Pattern Review's wardrobe contest and that was one of my key colours.
Anyway, I decided to wear my first top and the Blackwood
cardigan together, which I thought was sensible. I didn't wear my
pearls as I thought that would lead to adverse comments in some quarters! However R in class who
is young, slim and beautiful dared me to, suggesting this would be an ironical
statement. I suggested, sadly, that at my age it would not be - though it might
be on her. She agreed but of course these finished items are much too large for
her.
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| On my bridge weekend on my hotel balcony, Morcambe Bay in the background It was windy and very cold. This is my first top and Blackwood cardigan as a 'twin set'. The first top is my favourite of the three. |
Conclusion
Two wearable tops. Third cut out. A TNT pattern for stretch
fabric. I think I could easily change this top up but don't feel the need to as
yet. I have been told it's a good idea to make things multiple times so that's
what I'm doing.
I wore the set at the first night of my bridge weekend and
felt very comfortable both with the cardigan on and off. I didn't feel people
were looking at my outfit and criticising it as I often feel - in fact I was
quite clear that the RTW trousers were the poorest part of the outfit. (I still
need to conquer trousers)
I've worn the first two tops quite a number of times now.
Postscript
I finished the third top and it's too tight! Less stretch,
sadly. I failed to take that into account. I used a fine plain grey jersey and it was both less stretchy and more difficult to use. I think it's easier to use wovens
than to take all the different stretches into account! It's not too far off
though and I'm supposed to be losing weight….
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| First top at front (my favourite), third top in middle and second top at back |
